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Chapter 16

"The end of the line," said the foreman.

"You killed her in cold blood, she did nothing to you," yelled Cade.

The two men stood face to face, walking a circle, sizing one another up. A happenstance meeting had turned into a blood feud with no chance of both surviving. One had lost a potential love, the other some good men.

"Are we gonna fight or dance boy," chuckled the foreman.

Cade lunged in for a stomach shot but his opponent dodged swiftly like a matador facing a bull. He stumbled and turned as the foreman sliced a deep gash across his back. Blood streamed from Cade's shirt but he kept his cool.

Knives clanged together in a strange figure eight pattern. They moved so fast that one false dodge could end it. Cade kicked the knee out from under the foreman and dove onto him as he fell to the ground in a thud. His knife was at the mans throat pushing closer and closer. The foreman gasped and grabbed gravel and soft dirt from the bridge and flung it into Cade's eyes.

Cade dropped his blade to the ground as he rubbed his eyes and face to clean it. Tiny pebbled and grains of San had lodged in his eyes. The foreman picked up a pistol from one of his dead men and walked over to Cade. He was still rubbing his eyes and squinting his vision helplessly.

"All you had to do was piss off boy," the foreman said with anger.

"Some of us are survivors and some, well, are like you."

Cade sat on his knees in a helpless position. "Kill me then, before I kill you."

"Very well," answered the foreman.

He lowered the pistol to Cades forehead, cocked the hammer, and pulled the trigger. Click, click, click. 

The gun was empty. Hearing the empty gun Cade swept his leg around cutting the foreman off at the knees and knocking him down.

The foreman stood as Cade rushed in giving him a foot to the stomach. Both men exchanged punches' back and forth. The foremans left eye began to swell and Cade looked to have lost a front tooth.

Both were exhausted from the long drawn out fight. Finally the foreman had back Cade up to the guardrail, punching him violently. Cade was then held out over the water seconds from falling to his death.

Bang!

Cade pulled himself back onto the bridge. The foreman had let go of him and looked at his chest instead, falling over the guardrail to the water far below.

Vick stood behind with a rifle smiling, then collapsed onto the pavement again. "Don't die on me buddy," yelled Cade.

"Aw hell you were taking to long sissy fighting," laughed Vick. "Remember though, bury me with the belt."

The group formed around Vicks body on the ground. He was bleeding so badly, it was hard to believe he was still alive. "Had to make sure you guys made it before I kicked the bucket."

Cade grabbed his friends hand as he took his last breaths.

Everyone cried but carried out their friend Vicks last request. They dragged him off the bridge and onto the soft ground of Canada. It took quite a while to dig a hole with no actual tools but they made due with the weapons and items that were available.

They lowered their large buddy down into the hole then placed his wrestling belt across his waist. After everyone said their goodbyes to Vick they walk to the border customs zone to find safety in the new country.

"Congratulations on making it," said a border guard. "You are only the third group of people we have checked in here."

"Someone will take you downstairs to safety. The nuclear attacks should start soon and the fallout might reach us here depending on where the closest bomb goes off."

A man wearing yellow fallout gear motioned the group to follow him. Just as they started the ground shook and to the west mushroom clouds could be seen all over. "My god," said Trina. "We barely got here in time."

They continued to follow the man inwards to a compound that looked recently constructed. Large tents surrounded three large vehicles off the road in a field. It reminded Cade of a Red Cross rescue center he had once seen in Japan.

"My name is Kurt and I will guide you to the decontamination center for processing and then you will be free to journey into the country wherever you wish."

The group seemed satisfied with his reasoning and continued following him. They entered a tent where Kurt instructed them to take their clothes off so they could be burned. Cade and the group did as they were told and walked into a large glass container. Kurt gave them a reassuring smile as he shut and locked the room.

Another man walked into the room and asked if they were ready. Kurt answered affirmatively.

"How long do you think this will take," asked Meg.

"It only lasts a few minutes in the movies," responded Dwayne.

Cade began looking around the chamber. It was basically empty except for his group. There were no shower heads, no anything really besides some vents on the side of each wall.

"Guys we might be screwed here," said Cade.

The rest began panicking and beating on the glass at Kurt and the other man. They pretended to not hear as they fiddled with gadgets and computers. Finally the unnamed man walked up to the glass to respond.

"I am Colonel Munk of the Canadian Military. As you may have guessed you will not be coming out of that room." He put his head down and continued, "We can take no chances that any survivors are not contaminated. I admire your courage and the things you must have seen and done."

The group stood listening horrified.

The Colonel continued, "While we did strike a deal with your government, it no longer exists and we just cannot take the chance on Canada becoming infected."

"I am sorry."

"I will give you all a few moments."

The group stood stunned, it not sinking in. Then Cade grabbed his sister and hugged her. Dwayne and Trina embraced. Autumn walked over and hugged Cade and Meg. When they finished no one said a word. Each gave the others tearful knowing nods and sat down.

The Colonel saw them finish and started the machine. It turned out to be a large microwave oven. As it heated up the group began to squirm and choke. Finally, it became too powerful and they all exploded all over the room.

Kurt turned off the machine and called for a cleanup crew.

The Colonel said, "Get back to the front and wait for any other survivors. For the love of country we must not let any infected inside our borders.

*I hope you all enjoyed my little story. Please vote for all the chapters and comment. It helps my ego and pride ;) *